Kitsune
by Cheri Belle
Summary: AU. Genrou doesn't go off with Chichiri after the final fight against Seiryuu. He returns to the bandits, but after only a few days, a young woman bandit tries to steal his tessen. She is captured, and sends Mt. Reikaku into turmoil.


Tasuki was in the dining area of the Mt. Reikaku Bandits Den, getting drunk once again with all of his bandits. Now that Miaka had gone back to her home, he and Chichiri split paths, with Tasuki going back to Mt. Reikaku, with a quick stop to his parent's house on the way, and Chichiri heading off to be a wandering monk once more. Tasuki missed Miaka a great deal, and was getting drunker than usual to cover up his pain.  
  
Kouji proposed a toast: "To our true leader, Genrou! Let's hope he doesn't drink himself to death before his time!" The rest of the men started yelling their own good wishes to Tasuki out themselves. He muttered a thanks, then got up from the table and walked out of the room. The men quieted down and soon dispersed each going to their rooms to sleep off the sake. Kouji followed his leader to his chambers.  
  
"Genrou, daijobu? What's wrong? You're so quiet." "I'm fine, Kouji. I just visited my mother, remember?" Tasuki half-smiled, showing his left fang. "I'll be fine in the morning. She gave me a headache!"  
  
Kouji looked dubious. " Are you sure, kashira?"  
  
"Hai, Kouji. I'm fine." Tasuki disappeared into his room. He took off his jacket and tessen and let them drop to the floor. He flopped onto his bed and immediately fell asleep.  
  
"Kitsune-chan, ya sure we can pull this off? I mean, these ARE the Mt. Reikaku bandits we're talking about here."  
  
"Hai, aho. Sakura-chan, Niwa should keep her mouth shut, ne?"  
  
"Sumanu, kashira. Daijobu ka? You don't sound so good."  
  
"I'm fine, Niwa-chan, I think I might be getting a cold or something. Now get going. Find the tessen. It should be in Genrou's room. Sakura and Niwa, go in and search to the left, and Hana-chan and I will go to the right. Everyone else, stay out here. You all know the call for danger, ne?"  
  
"Hai, Kitsune-sama!" Her bandits whispered to the petite young woman standing in front of them.  
  
The four young women assigned to search climbed into the window above them, with the apparent boss going in first to search for danger. "Haiyaku, girls. We don't need the Mt. Reikaku guys to find us. Remember, be quiet at all times. If you find something, use the owl whistle. If there is danger, wolf call, ne?"  
  
"Hai, kashira."  
  
The girls' separated, one group going right, the other, left.  
  
"Kitsune, matte. I think I heard something."  
  
"Shh, Hana." The smaller girl listened closely, and heard the sound of footsteps coming toward them. She glanced at her companion, gesturing towards the ceiling.  
  
"Hai." Hana whispered.  
  
Both girls jumped to the ceiling and held on up there for their lives. A tall young man with wild, spiky blue-gray hair passed under them.  
  
Kouji looked around. "Shtraaaange. I could 'ave shworn I heard voishes here jush' a shecon' 'go. Guesshh I'm jush' really tire'. or really drunk." He walked away, and in a few minutes the girls heard a door open and shut. They jumped down, and landed without a sound. Kitsune made a throat cutting gesturing with her hand when Hana opened her mouth. She brought her mouth very closer to Hana's ear and whispered: "These guys have really good hearing. Keep your mouth shut unless it's an emergency." Hana nodded and gestured toward a halfway opened door. The other girl gave her approval then pointed to the door opposite of it. "That's Kouji's room, but Genrou might be in there. Out here in five minutes, whether you find it or not, ne?" She whispered, and then hugged the other girl quickly. "Good luck, Hana-chan. Stay quiet. And remember how dangerous what you're doing is. I'll be in this room, which might be Genrou's, if you must get me, okay."  
  
"Good luck, Kitsune-chan. We'll get this thing, for Arashi, ne?" The other girl whispered back, hugging her leader and best friend. Kitsune opened the door quietly, keeping her ears open for the breathing pattern of someone sleeping or awake. Hearing only the quiet breath that comes with sleep, she walked in without drawing her sword, dagger, or crossbow. She looked around, and saw the tessen in its metal case lying on the floor.  
  
"Hah. aho. he left it on the ground. Genrou no baka." She laughed quietly and picked it up. Genrou stirred in his sleep and she froze in the shadows.  
  
Tasuki had heard his door open quietly and figured it was just Kouji coming to check on him, as he had been doing in the night since Tasuki had come back from fighting for the Suzaku no Miko. Then he heard a young woman's voice say something about him being a baka, and his tessen being picked up from the ground. He opened his eyes and sat up to see a young woman standing half in the shadows. She had a very petite frame that was covered by a tight fitting black outfit that showed her curves. Her dark hair revealed itself to be a dark purplish red-brown when she shifted into the light a little bit more, and she had large, luminescent emerald green eyes that shone with intelligence and courage. She had two swords at each hip, and a dagger with the sword on the right one. She also had a sword strapped to her back, next to a crossbow. When she saw that he was awake, she froze in her approach to the door.  
  
"Shimatta." He heard her whisper in a light, breeze-like voice.  
  
"Well, well, Genrou, what do we have here? I found a little girl searchin' my room, and I see you found one in yours too! And Arashi and Kaze found two girls searching their rooms! I think we were gettin' robbed, ne?" Kouji's voice came from the doorway, which opened and bathed the girl in light.  
  
Kitsune turned to the sound of Kouji's voice behind her and saw two other young men. The three were holding her fellow bandits, who were bound and gagged. 


End file.
